Chapter 1065 Rescue
Dao Zhi had been using his spiritual power to observe the flow of inner energy of everyone during their breakthroughs.
He observed meticulously, sensing the expressions on everyone's faces before their death, even their inner pain.
With so many familiar faces dying before his eyes, there was nothing he could do but watch.
If Dao Zhi's mental fortitude hadn't been strong enough and he hadn't been constantly stimulating his mind with Daoist techniques, he would have likely collapsed by now.
Cang Jian took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and sat on the ground. He couldn't bear to watch anymore.
As Cang Jian began to circulate his inner energy, Dao Zhi and Old Monster Zhang also started their own breakthroughs.
Several hours later, the auras of the three men receded, and they opened their eyes simultaneously.
All three had survived, and their auras were completely different from before.
After exchanging glances, the three knew they had all succeeded in their breakthroughs.
However, none of them smiled.
If they had broken through successfully before, they would have been excited, and the entire martial world would have rejoiced.
This was the first breakthrough in a thousand years.
But now, the three knew that their successful breakthroughs were paved with the lives of others.
Without Duan Zhenge, Cheng Hairan, Miao Weifeng, Yang Xianglei, and others, they wouldn't have broken through so easily.
Dao Zhi rose and gathered everyone's belongings, placing them into a spatial treasure.
He said in a cold voice, "Let's go."
Cang Jian and Old Monster Zhang remained silent. As they left the hidden cave, Dao Zhi brought down the entire cave entrance with a single palm strike.
The strength he displayed was no longer just a difference, but a chasm.
The three headed into the depths of the mountain range without looking back. They wanted to see what truly resided in the heart of the mountains.
Not long after they left, Chen Yang and the others re-entered the plain through a spatial portal.
Chen Yang and his companions, led by Zhou Zeyao, Wu Min, and other ancient martial artists, headed directly towards the mountain range.
However, along the way, they encountered several remains.
Not the remains of fierce beasts, but of martial artists.
Torn clothing lay scattered nearby.
The scent in the air confirmed that these martial artists had not died long ago.
Everyone's hearts sank.
Chen Yang, in particular.
The clothing of two of the deceased was very familiar to Chen Yang.
It was the attire of Fang Yuanyuan's sect.
However, the fragmented clothing of Zhang Dao and Wu Bandao was not found in this area.
After a brief discussion among the sect members, they decided to leave a few people to collect the remains and take them back first.
The rest would continue exploring forward.
Wu Min and the others paid no attention to the somber atmosphere that permeated the group.
They were already accustomed to such life and death situations, and furthermore, their perceived strength of these individuals was far too weak.
Even if their current cultivation realms were the same, their hardened hearts allowed for no trace of empathy.
Zhou Zeyao, upon learning from Chen Yang that the people he knew might have been attacked, sighed and comforted Chen Yang, "The path of a martial artist is like this. At least someone is here to clean up after them."
"Back then, countless people died without anyone to even remember them."
"We two must make a pact. If I die here, you must live on. My disciple is still too weak; you must take care of her then, and don't always bully her!"
Chen Yang nodded slowly at Zhou Zeyao's words and replied, "Don't worry, if you die, I won't even pay her salary. She'll work for me for free."
Zhou Zeyao, angered, squeezed Chen Yang's shoulder.
With Zhou Zeyao's interjection, Chen Yang's heart, though still heavy, understood that the dead could not be brought back to life.
Even the most powerful healers could not achieve such a feat.
Moreover, compared to others, Chen Yang, as a Medical Saint Celestial Venerable, had experienced more.
Only by becoming powerful could one protect those around them.
As Chen Yang and the others entered the mountain range, Chen Yang and the ancient martial artists like Wu Min immediately sensed the distant battle.
Chen Yang's immensely vast spiritual power immediately drew the attention of Wu Min and the other ancient martial artists.
Their bodies and spiritual powers were strong because they were originally martial artists of a higher level. Although their realms had fallen, the resilience of their bodies remained.
The depletion of their spiritual power did not diminish their power in the slightest.
But Chen Yang was different. He was a modern martial artist, born and raised here.
How could he possess such powerful spiritual energy?
Some ancient martial artists were immediately filled with doubt and asked Zhou Zeyao beside them, "Brother Zhou, is this Chen Yang truly not an ancient martial artist?"
Zhou Zeyao raised his eyelids and chuckled, "How could he be an ancient martial artist? Although this brat sometimes pretends to be one, everything he knows was taught to him by me."
"Others might be fooled, but I won't be."
"Besides, when I met him again, he wasn't this strong. He's only become so powerful in the past few months."
Zhou Zeyao also felt a sense of wistfulness about Chen Yang's changes.
The first time he met Chen Yang, he was merely a peak Grandmaster with a unique movement technique.
But later, Chen Yang's fortuitous encounters made Zhou Zeyao envious.
His rapid progress in strength was astonishing, eventually reaching a level that even shocked Zhou Zeyao.
Chen Yang was unaware of the discussions among Zhou Zeyao and the others. Instead, he exerted his movement technique to its utmost, striving to reach the scene of the battle as quickly as possible.
Although the distance was far, Chen Yang's spiritual power still sensed a trace of a familiar aura.
This aura was quite unique, and if nothing unexpected happened, it should be someone he knew.
Witnessing Chen Yang's terrifying movement technique, even ancient martial artists like Wu Min marveled.
If they were at their former cultivation levels, they would certainly be able to keep up. But now... to follow him at the peak Grandmaster realm was no ordinary difficulty.
Zhou Zeyao saw this and quickly transmitted a message to Chen Yang, "Be careful!"
But Chen Yang's footsteps did not slow. The closer Chen Yang got, the more certain he became that the ones being ambushed were Zhang Dao and Wu Bandao.
In a nearby hollow, Zhang Dao and Wu Bandao, surrounded by fierce beasts, were desperately protecting Fang Yuanyuan behind them.
Fang Yuanyuan's strength was not high, and she had already been severely injured. No further harm could befall her.
However, facing the several swamp fierce beasts attacking them, Zhang Dao and Wu Bandao knew that they themselves were likely powerless to turn the tide.